Lamar! has never been a Conservative. He blew a key opportunity to run for Senator in 1984 and stop the imbecilic Manbearpig from succeeding Howard Baker, Jr. Instead, he ran after he said he’d never run for office again and used his deep pockets to stop the excellent Congressman Ed Bryant from winning in 2002. He also finally broke his word on “two terms and out” in staying long past his expiration date. He’s typical of the establishment pol that bitterly clings to power.
I did not ever say Lamar was a conservative. Lamar is a Republican
I worked on the Bryant Campaign
My view buttressed by many elections is that Tennessee is a Republican state, not necessarily a conservative state.